Safety construction for vehicular traffic



Aug. 14, 1962 H. w. IRWIN SAFETY CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1961 Illlllll IN V EN TOR.

ffarf' Aug. 14, 1962 H. w. IRWIN 3,049,062

SAFETY CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC Filed May 9, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. yZK/fiwz United States Patent M 3,049,062SAFETY CONSTRUCTIUN FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC Harry W. Irwin, 115 S.Marshall St, Lancaster, Pa. Filed May 9, 1961, Ser. No. 108,783 4Claims. (Cl. 94--1) The present invention relates to a safetyconstruction for a highway, road surface or the like, and moreparticularly to a means for preventing vehicles such as automobiles,trucks or the like from entering the wrong area or zone.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a barrier mechanismfor use with a highway, road or the like, whereby vehicles travelingalong the highway or road will be kept from entering areas or zoneswhich are to be used for other purposes such as for use by vehiclestraveling in an opposite direction, so that by using the safety barrierconstruction of the present invention, there will be less likelihood ofaccidents occurring so that the roads can be used with greater safetyand convenience.

A further object is to provide a vehicle safety traffic construction ofthe type described that also includes a mechanism which is adapted to beused in conjunction with the barriers whereby this mechanism will serveto prevent a vehicle from entering a particular locality such as a deadend or the like, and wherein this last named mechanism includes rollerswhich are provided with an over run clutch construction so as to insurethat the vehicles cannot travel past a particular point.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the character describedthat is rugged in structure and foolproof in use, and which iseconomical to manufacture and efficient in operation.

Further objects and advantages are to provide improved elements andarrangements thereof in a device of the character described that iseconomical to produce, durable in form, and conducive to the mosteconomical use of materials and uniformity of members formed therefrom.

Still further objects and advantages will be apparent in the subsequentdescription in the specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view illustrating a portion of a roadway having thepresent invention thereon and illustrating by dotted lines schematicallyhow the vehicles of one lane are prevented from crossing or skiddingonto the other lane.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view generally similar to FIGURE 1 butshowing a continuation of the highway or road and illustrating howvehicles are prevented from entering or running off of the highway andalso illustrating how vehicles which leave the highway are preventedfrom running oif the highway and also from entering the highway on aleaving lane.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of one of the clamps.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing one of the spacer units.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modifiedclamping and spacing member which is adjustable.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 2 and beingon an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken on the line Iii-10 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through a pair ofadjacent rollers and showing the rear 3,ii49,052 Patented Aug. 14, 1962wheel of a vehicle turning in a forward direction and the rollersturning so that the vehicle cannot advance forward.

FIGURE 12 is a view similar to FIGURE 11 but showing the rear wheel ofthe vehicle turning in a reverse direction and the rollers locked sothat the car can back oil of the rollers.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral indicates a portion ofa highway, road surface or the like which may include a generallystraight portion 21, FIG- URE 1, and the road 20 may also include acurved portion 22 and in FIGURE 2 the numeral 23 indicates the exit forvehicles from the road 20, while the numeral 24 indicates the entrancethat is adapted to be used by vehicles which are entering the roadway orhighway or the like.

According to the present invention there is provided barriers which areindicated generally by the numeral 25, and these barriers 25 are adaptedto be arranged in the intermediate portion of a road such as the road 20so as to separate the lanes such as the lanes and 31 of the road wherebyvehicles traveling in one direction will not ordinarily be able to enterthe wrong lane and bump into an oppositely traveling vehicle and causean accident. The barriers 25 comprise hollow tubular members or unitswhich are indicated generally by the numeral 26, and each of thesetubular units 26 is adapted to have a shape that conforms to the shapeor contour 20 so that for example the units 26 include a straightsection 27 that conforms to the straight portion 21, and the units 26further include a curved section 28 that conforms to the configurationor contour of the curved portion 22 of the road 20. As shown in FIGURE1, end portions of adjacent units or barriers are spaced from each otherso as to define spaces which are indicated by the numeral 29, for apurpose to be later described, and the spaces 29 of a pair of barriers25 are arranged in offset or staggered relation with respect to eachother.

In FIGURE 1 the numerals 30 and 31 indicate the separate lanes of a roadsuch as the road 20, and for example the lane 31 is adapted to be usedby vehicles traveling from left to right in FIGURE 1, while the lane 30is adapted to be used by vehicles traveling from right to left in FIGURE1.

In FIGURE 2 the numeral 32 indicates a dead end, and the numeral 33indicates another dead end, and these dead end portions are adapted tohave a vehicle stopping mechanism contiguous thereto.

The numeral 34 indicates horizontally disposed plates which are suitablyembedded in the road or highway 20, and the highway 20 may be made of asuitable material such as concrete, asphalt or the like, and arrangedabove certain of the plates 34- are clamps 35, FIGURE 5. Each clamp 35includes an arcuate section 36 that straddles or surrounds a portion ofa tubular unit 26, and the clamp 35 is provided with diametricallyopposed horizontally disposed flanges 37 which have openings orapertures 38 therein. Suitable securing elements such as bolts 39 areadapted to extend through the openings 38 and through openings in theplate 34 whereby the clamps 35 can be used for helping to maintain thepipes or tubular units 26 in their proper aligned position.

Abutting ends, as at 46 in FIGURE 4, of adjacent tubular members 26 havea sleeve 41 therein to keep the ends in alignment.

As shown in FIGURE 7, spacer units 42 are provided for helping tomaintain the barriers 25 properly spaced from each other in spacedparallel relation, and each spacer unit 42 comprises arcuate portions 43which spraddle or surround portions of the tubular units 26, and eachspacer unit 42 further includes outwardly arranged horizontally disposedflanges 44 which have openings 45 therein, and such openings are adaptedto register with corresponding openings inplates 46 which are adapted tobe suitably embedded in the concrete or other material that is used formaking the road There are also provided openings 47 in an intermediateportion 49 of the spacer 42, and suitable securing elements such asbolts 48 are adapted to be extended through such openings as theopenings and 47 and through the corresponding openings in the plates 46in order to maintain the spacer units 42 properly anchored in place. Theintermediate portion 49 of the spacer 42 is provided with an aperture oropening 50 whereby a suitable securing element or member such as a spike51 can be driven down through the aperture 50 into the road surface 20in order to further stabilize or help anchor the spacer.

There is further provided spaced apart elongated guard assemblies whichare each indicated by the numeral 52, FIGURE 3, and each of the guardassemblies 52 includes a horizontally disposed flange 53 which isadapted to be secured in place as for example by means of the securingelements 39. Each guard assembly 52 further includes a verticallydisposed or upstanding wall portion 54 which has an inclined wallsection 55 secured to or formed integral with the upper edge portionthereof. Each of the guard assemblies 52 is disposed adjacent to and onthe side of the adjacent tubular member 26 contiguous to the adjacentbarrier, with the wall portion 54 abutting the tubular member 26 andhaving the upper end thereof extending above the tubular member 26. Theinclined section 55 of each guard element 52 extends from the upper endof the wall portion 54 and has its lower end extending partially overthe adjacent tubular member 26. The flange 53 of each guard assembly 52extends in the direction opposite to the direction of the inclinedsection 55. Pairs of the guard assemblies 52 are adapted to coact so asto define a trough for at times receiving a wheel of a vehicle thereinas for example when a vehicle inadvertently or accidentally strikes thebarrier with such impact as to cause a front wheel to jump over thebarrier and be received in the trough or space defined between the guardassemblies 52.

There is further provided a traffic stop mechanism for use along certainportions of the highway or other road surface or the like, and thistrafiic stop mechanism is indicated generally by the numeral 56. Thetrafiic stop mechanism 56 is illustrated in detail in FIGURE 9 forexample, wherein it is seen that there is provided opposed supportmembers 57 which may have their lower portions 58 anchored in place inany suitable manner as for example such lower portion 58 may be embeddedin concrete or the like, and the upper portions of the support members57 are adapted to be provided with rectangular openings 59 which receivetherein rectangular shanks 61 on the ends of stationary cores 60.Rollers 62 are rotatably mounted on the cores 60, and the constructionof the stop mechanism 56 is such that the rollers 62 can only rotate inone direction. The rollers 62 are adapted to be provided with smallopenings 63 whereby oil can be introduced into the openings 63 in orderto provide lubrication for the rotating rollers or drums 62, and outerportions of the core may be cut away as at 64 so as to help minimizefriction between the rollers 62 and cores 60. As shown in the drawings aplurality of the rollers are arranged in spaced parallel relation withrespect to each other for each of the mechanisms 56, and each of therollers 62 is adapted to be mounted on a corresponding core 60. Portionsof the cores 60 are cut away as at 65 so as to define or provide camsurfaces which are adapted to coact with movable cam pieces 66.

Referring to FIGURE 8 of the drawings the numeral 42' indicates amodified spacer unit which is adapted to be used in lieu of a spacerunit such as the spacer unit 42, and in FIGURE 8 the spacer unit 42'includes arcuate portions 43 that are adapted to straddle or surroundportions of the elements or units 26, and there is provided flanges 44'on the outer ends of the spacer unit 42, and

the flanges 44 serve the same purpose as the previously describedflanges 44. The spacer unit 42 [also includes overlapping portions "49'which are adjustably connected together, so that the portions 43 can bemoved towards or away from each other in order to permit the spacer tobe adjusted to accommodate or fit barriers of different spacedintervals, and a spike such as the spike 51 is adapted to be extendedthrough registering apertures in the portions 49' of the spacer unit 42.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a safetystructure which is especially suitable for use on highways, roads, orthe like, and in use with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings,it will be seen that the barriers 25 can be used for preventing vehiclestraveling in one direction from crossing over the medial or intermediateportion of the road and striking vehicles traveling in the oppositedirection so that for example the two lanes 30 and 31 will be maintainedseparated in order to permit the road to be user with greater safety. Itis to be noted that with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings thebarriers 25 will help prevent vehicles from accidentally going from onelane to the other since if a vehicle goes too far towards the center ofthe road, the vehicle bumper will strike or encounter or engage thebarrier such as the barrier 25 in order to help prevent the vehicle fromaccidentally crossing over into the wrong lane with the oppositelytraveling tr-affic. If the barrier is struck with too much force by thevehicle, one of the front wheels of the vehicle may jump the barrier andbe received in the trough defined between the pair of body members 52 sothat this construction will help prevent the entire vehicle from movingover into the wrong lane. When such a front wheel is received in thetrough between the guard assemblies 52, the vehicle must be movedforward or backward until the open spaces 29 are reached in order topermit the wheels to move clear or free of the barriers. In the drawingsthe numeral 57 illustrates schematically vehicles which are travelingalong a highway or the like, and such vehicles 67 include the usualfront wheels 68 as well as the rear wheels 69.

The barriers 25 include the pipes or units 26 which are held in place asfor example by means of the clamps 35 as well as by the spacers 42 or42', and these barriers have a configuration or contour to conform tothe configuration of the road 26) on which they are being used so thatit will be seen that a pair of the barriers 25 are adapted to be usedcooperatively, and these barriers are adapted to include a straightsection 27 as well 'as a curved section 28, and these sections areadapted to conform in configuration to the straight portion 21 andcurved portion 22 of a road 20. It is to be understood that any numberof the barriers can be used as desired or required, and the barriershave their ends spaced from each other as at 29, and this spacing 29provides a means whereby any water such as rain water which has atendency to collect in the trough between the guard assemblies 52 candrain out through the spaces or openings 29, and in addition the spacers29 permit a means whereby when a vehicle front wheel is caught betweenthe barriers 25, the vehicle may be moved along the road until a space29 is reached in order to permit the vehicle wheel to move free of thebarriers so as to permit the vehicle to continue on its journey.

As shown in FIGURE 2, there is also provided a means for preventing avehicle from entering certain areas or locations and this meanscomprises the rotary rollers 62 which can only rotate in one directionon the stationary cores 60. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 2 in the event thata vehicle that is entering the road through the entrance 24inadvertently fails to make a turn and approaches the dead end 32, itwill be seen that the vehicle will come in engagement with the stopmechanism 56 adjacent the dead end 32 and when the rear wheels whichprovide the traction engage the rollers 62, the rollers 62 will spin soas to prevent the vehicle from moving forward ofi of the dead end 32.Even though the vehicle cannot continue in a forward direction,nevertheless by reversing the power supplied to the rear wheels 69 ofthe vehicle, the vehicle can be backed off of the mechanism 56 sincewhen reversing of the wheels 69 takes place, the earns 66 will be causedto wedge or lock conjunctively with the cam surfaces 65 so that therollers 62 will not spin or rotate when the vehicle is being backed offwhereby the vehicle can be backed oif of the mechanism 56 and drivenalong the road 20 in the proper manner.

Such a vehicle stop mechanism 56 can be used in other areas and forexample it can be used to provide a vehicle such as the vehicle 67 fromentering a dead end area 33, and it also can be used for preventing avehicle from inadvertently or accidentally entering through the exitarea 23 of the road surface.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapesor sizes.

Although the invention herein described is fully capable of achievingthe objects and providing the advantages hereinbefo-re mentioned, it isto be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention and that it is not to be limitedto the details of construction herein described other than as defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tnafiic safety structure, for a road surface and wherein theroad surface includes a straight portion and a curved portion, a pair ofspaced parallel barriers on the intermediate portion of said roadsurface, each of said barriers of said pair of barriers including atubular member, an elongated guard assembly adjacent to and on the sideof each of said tubular members contiguous to the other barrier of saidpair of barriers, each of said guard assemblies including a verticallydisposed wall portion abutting the adjacent tubular member and havingthe upper end thereof extending :above said tubular member, an inclinedwall section extending downwardly from the upper end of said verticalwall portion and partially overlying said tubular member, and clamps andspacer units operatively connected to said pairs of barriers, said pairsof barriers coacting to define a trough adapted to receive therein awheel of a vehicle which jumps one barrier of said pair of barriers,there being offset staggered spaces between adjacent pairs of barriers.

2. In a traffic safety structure for a road surface and wherein the roadsurface includes a straight portion and a curved portion, a pair ofspaced parallel barriers on the intermediate portion of said roadsurface, each of said barriers of said pair of barriers including atubular member, an elongated guard assembly adjacent to and on the sideof each of said tubular members contiguous to the other barrier of saidpair of barriers, each of said guard assemblies including a verticallydisposed wall portion abutting the adjacent tubular member and havingthe upper end thereof extending above said tubular member, an inclinedwall section extending downwardly from the upper end of said verticalwall portion and partially overlying said tubular member, and clamps andspacer units operatively connected to said pairs of barriers, said pairsof barriers coacting to define a trough adapted to receive therein awheel of a vehicle which jumps one barrier of said pair of barriers,there being offset staggered spaces between adjacent pairs of barriers,and stop mechanisms for preventing vehicles from entering certain areasor zones.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said stop mechanismcomprises stationary cores, rollers rotatably supported on said coresand adapted to rotate in one direction only, and cam means forpermitting the rollers to turn in one direction only.

4. A vehicle safety structure for a road surface that includes straightportions, curved portions, entrance and exit portions, and dead endportions; said safety structure comprising a pair of spaced parallelbarriers arranged above said road surface, there being oifset staggeredspacers between adjacent ends of said barriers, each of said barriersincluding a tubular unit having straight sections and curved sections toconform to the configuration to the straight portions and curvedportions of the road surface, horizontally disposed plates embedded insaid road surface, clamps arranged above certain of said plates and saidclamps including arcuate sections straddling said tubular units and saidclamps further including horizontally disposed flanges, securingelements extending through said flanges and plates, spacer units eachincluding arcuate portions straddling portions of said tubular units,each spacer unit including an intermediate portion having an aperturetherein, a spike-like securing member extending through said apertureinto engagement with the road surface, each barrier including a tubularmember, an elongated guard assembly adjacent to and on the side of eachof said tubular members contiguous to the other barrier of said pair ofbarriers, each of said guard assemblies including a vertically disposedwall portion abutting the adjacent tubular member and having the upperend thereof extending above said tubular member, and an inclined wallsection extending downwardly from the upper end of said wall portion andpartially overlying said tubular member, and a traflic stop mechanismcontiguous to the entrance and exit and dead end portions, said tr-aflicstop mechanism comprising support members, stationary cores havingshanks on their ends connected to said support members, :a plurality ofspaced parallel rollers mounted on said cores and mounted for rotationin one direction only, and cam means for permitting the rollers to turnin one direction only on said cores.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,940,994 Callaghan Dec. 26, 1933 1,969,845 Hick Aug. 14, 1934 2,927,513Dove Mar. 8, 1960 OTHER REFERENCES Roads & Streets, November 1950, pp.48, 49.

